Students Receive Top Awards

Fifth grade Erma Siegel students, Kameryn Galland, Skye Roberts, and Erin Higgins, are headed to the National Invention Convention set for June in Washington, D.C. The trio received first place in the 5th Grade “Make Life Easier” category with an E-Z Swing Suit during MTSU’s 25th Annual Invention Convention. In total, fourteen MCS students received ribbons or trophies for their 2017 creations.

The E-Z Swing Suit allows students with balance issues to be supported in a traditional swing utilizing a vest that is hooked to the swing’s chains.

“To say that I am proud of these girls would be an understatement,” says Angela Pope, 5th grade teacher. “I have been taking groups to the Invention Convention at MTSU since 2003. This is by far one of the best inventions I have ever had anyone take. There is so much ingenuity in this invention.”

Pope says more important than ingenuity is the heart and compassion behind the idea. Pope’s 5th grade class does “Little Buddies” with Ms. Owen Davis’s 1st and 2nd grade Comprehensive Development Classroom (CDC) including reading on Fridays. After reading, the class takes a few minutes to play with the younger children on the playground.

“These girls noticed that when their little buddy wanted to swing, they had issues with balancing. It scared them because they worried the child might fall, so when Invention Convention started, they came up with an idea to alleviate this problem,” says Pope.

The Invention Convention process begins with groups brainstorming ideas for games and inventions. The ideas are narrowed based on whether the objectives are practical and reasonable for the time frame and budget allotted. One additional step narrows the project to the idea that students are most passionate about developing.

“These girls had one idea that they were set on, and it was the E-Z Swing Suit. This idea is a practical and directly applies to their lives. It is something they were immediately able to put to use. This idea shows the compassion that these girls have for their Little Buddies and the strength of the relationships that have been developed over the school year between the two groups of kids. It shows a special kind of sensitivity and empathy,” says Pope.

“We wanted our friends to be able to swing with us safely,” says Skye Roberts.